It happened faster than I could blink.
The moment I saw a ball of flames, I thought of ghasts. But ghast fireballs look like meteorites, this one's a literal ball of fire! Raising my shield, I crouched behind it, not yet worried.
Until a blue panel appeared.
[xp level 21: enable Shield ? (consumes xp when used)]
"Huh?" I couldn't react. Not even say yes. The fire drowned all my thoughts, its flames wrapping around the shield and my body. My skin was singed, the shield crumbling at the edges, and lastly, my innards felt like they were boiling.
The pain made me speechless, and all I could do was crouch, frozen in the fiery blaze, stunned by pain. At the corner of my eyes, I saw something that helped me endure the short but seemingly endless torture. My health bar.
[hp: 20 --> 8/20 | food: 20/20]
Zoning out of the real world for a moment, I stared at my health bar, which was still going down. Then at my hunger bar. If things are still the same regarding these two, then in a moment...
[hp: 8 --> 2/20]
The fireball vanished in flickering tongues of flames, and the shield in my hand broke into charred pieces. I knelt on the ground, gasping carbon air with my vision blurred.My heart thumped weakly against my chest, coughs spilling out of my throat.
And then, warmth erupted from my stomach.
[food: 20 --> 17/20]
A pleasant ache surged from my bones, before a crack thrummed in my ears. My skin itched, charred dead skin falling off in flakes. Slowly, my vision steadied, and I then was gulping fresh air in a hurry.
[hp: 2 --> 10]
I looked up, hearing the man at the front saying something. Unfortunately, my reply could only be furrowed brows—what the hell was he saying?!
Anyway, I quickly equiped my back-up shield. This world is too dangerous, and I have an idea what kind of world it is... But for now, I have to wish to my lucky stars.
That if I go back and disable the portal, they won't be able to light it back up.